France - July 2017, Paris

Where do I begin?

With the sights that I saw, the Louvre, the Sacré-Cœur, and more?

Or instead do I mention the small ticket my fingers hold on to so tightly. The ticket that took me from train to subway to bus and back.

Should I share that I've seen the place where Marie Antoinette was prisoner?

The mango sorbet quickly melting in its cone?

The throngs of people, the avocado and black bean tortilla wrap, the Mona Lisa.

Two separate days in Paris; one hot and sunny, the other cloudy with sprinkles of rain.

Both filled with walking and riding the subway. Hearing musicians on the streets and in the subway.

Spending hours at the Louvre Museum analyzing statues and paintings from hundreds of years ago.

Walking slowly and silently through Sacré-Cœur, the candlelight lighting up faces.

Watching the clouds go by quickly as I dosily sit on the train.

Returning for a third time to visit le musee d'Orangerie, the Eiffel Tower, and walking in the rain some more.

Should I try to write some prose? A poem? A song? No, they don't seem right.

How does a mediocre writer get the feelings across?

The anxiety of the crowds and the anticipation for the art. The fascination of stepping on stones that thousands of others have stepped on.

The way my heart fluttered whenever it saw gardens with trees or windows and doors.

The Water Lilies by Monet filling up entire rooms. Blue. Green. Pink. Purple. Black. White. Brown. Colors mixing delicately together.